Job Offer - but in Psych

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Feb 24, 2011

If you like it, take it. A job in hand is worth a thousand want ads.

Nicole74 · Feb 24, 2011

If you like it, take it. A job in hand is worth a thousand want ads.

A bird in the hand is better than 2 in a bush. You may network and your options could be unlimited...you never know.

ItsTheDude · Feb 24, 2011

psych is alright, i've done it, generally get paid more too.

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Feb 24, 2011

You already know you love it. Psych may be your niche. You may never want to leave. Congrats!

mentalhealthRN · Feb 24, 2011

Once you have it you can always drop to part time or per diem if you find another area you are interested in and work both part time or per diem. When I worked inpatient psych I worked with both. Nurses with some medical experience, a couple with a ton of medical experience and some that came to psych right out of school. Yes I did hear some of the nurses with no medical experience occasionally with they knew how to do things they needed to aske for help with when medical things came up. We kept and took care of medical issues as long as they were not too acute to handle. Things like decubs on elderly who refused to get out of bed, wounds from things like cut wrists, to things like PEG tube feeds now and then, once did trach care there, IVs--just short run like a potassium or fluids or an ABX, had to hang blood once on a lady with serious menstrual bleeding (seriously), foley placement, colostomy bag care/changes.....those are the things I can think of that those nurses at times needed assistance from other nurses with. So yeah the medical experience does help but you can do the job without it and many do. It is just helpful that is all but not required. Hopefully there is always at least one nurse on the shift who can help. Although the day I came onto my eve shift and had to hang blood for a patient the day shift had to give the first of the two units of blood and none of them had ever done it so they had called the house supervisor to help. But really you should be fine. Once you are comfortable there on your new unit you could always look into picking up some hours in the ER or on a medical unit to get some medical skills. However I do want to say CONGRATS to you on the job!!!!! How exciting!!! I personally have done many areas of nursing and LOVE psych!!! So WELCOME!!!!

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2011

I don't know if I'd like psych as a staff RN but I think it'd be interesting as a psych NP.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 24, 2011

So, I received a job offer today from a hospital where I have been doing my clinicals. However, it will be in a psych unit. I have been here for the past 8 weeks and I love it.
Now, I know how hard the job market is, esp for new grads (and I don't even graduate until this May). Is this really a good unit to start as a new grad? I have heard that I might have problems later on if I want to transfer to another unit.

I had no problems transferring to peds in another hospital 4y later.

noelia23RN · Feb 24, 2011

Take it if you like psych otherwise look for other opportunities. I myself could never do it.

intermediateRN · Feb 24, 2011

Congrats, I think that is great!!! especially if it's something you are really interested in. Experience in anything is invaluable, and makes you no less of a nurse than one on a med-surg floor. Good luck

Ambitiouz · Feb 24, 2011

I'm a new grad and already have a job but I really want to try psych myself. I didnt go for psych b/c I was worried about get medical skills. But I will try psych eventually. It doesnt scare me lol. I say go for it, it's best to choose that first job wisely anyways since you want to be there at least a year to build experience. You can still later get a parttime job in another area for those medical skills.

diane227, LPN, RN · Feb 24, 2011

I love psychiatry when I worked there. And perhaps it might be difficult for you in the future but you can do some things to make you more marketable. You can, for example, get your ACLS. You can obtain speciality certifications in a number of areas. And remember, psychiatric patients die from medical illnesses. Even though you are in psych, you can never let go of your med surg training because you have to be able to recognize medical issues when they come up. I had a patient die once on my unit from neuroleptic malignant syndrome from an overdose of flexaril. He had been sent to out unit for acute psychosis but he had no psych history and a recent history of c-spine surgery. I begged the doctor to move him out of our unit, but they told me that I did not know what I was talking about. I had been a nurse for 30 years at that point and most of those years had been spent in the ED. I knew what sick looked like. No one would believe me when I tried to explain what was wrong with this man. Afterward we had a sit down and I told every doctor involved that I did not want to have another patient die on my unit and if it happened again, I would report them to the board of medicine plus the news media. I told them that I did not fall off the turnip truck lately and that I knew what was wrong with this man. They came when I called them after that. So remember, don't forget your assessment skills.